This narrative is from a term paper written in 1945 by Marian Bremer
of the Krohn family, based on interviews with family members. [I have
added the comments in square parens].

Henry, the oldest son, was about eighteen years old [born Oct 1833, so
this is 1851-52] when he left home. He worked by the month wherever he
could find work, on farms or in the woods. Finally Henry got down to Warren
County in Illinois. There he worked for a family by the name of Robert
Wallace. He worked in the fields and Rebecca who later became his wife
[they married in 1864] helped with the house.

Henry sent for his younger brothers [early in] in 1863 but only Frederick
came. On September 11, 1863 the brothers bought one hundred eighty acres
in one piece paying one dollar and seventy-five cents per acre. They bought
more land as time went on and later divided it as needed and proximity
made it necessary. Frederick finally owned one hundred and forty acres
and I suppose Henry owned about the same amount of land. Frederick and
Henry married sisters. Frederick married Miss
Sarah Triplett on September 13, 1863 and Henry
married Rebecca on February 28, 1864 (in Ellison Township, Warren
County, Illinois).

The two families worked the farms as one. The women raised chickens and
sold the eggs and 200 to 300 head of cabbage, some of which were made
into kraut. At that time it took two men to plant corn. Henry did the
driving of the team and Frederick worked the dropper. A sythe and cradle
were the only tools they had to cut the small grains with at first. The
two families tried in every way possible to have a little cash money.
They always had food though there was not a great variety of it during
the winter months.

Henry and Rebecca, in Illinois, had six
children: Carrie [born 1865], Mary, Martha, Lillie, Henry and Laura.
All the children went to the district school. Carrie went to a Normal
School in Bushwell for six months and later to a normal school in Dixon,
Illinois, for eight months. She taught in rural schools in Warren County,
Illinois, for ten years. She is now [1945] living in Schoolcraft, Michigan.

Henry Junior also went to the Normal School in Bushwell for several months.
He worked on a farm a few years and later went to California and drilled
oil wells. He was married to Pearle E. Smith, September 8, 1900, in San
Bernadino [County], California, in Del Rosa.

Mary married Thomas Beatie, also in Warren County, Illinois, in 1889
and a year later Martha married his brother John Beatie. Both lived on
farms in Warren County. One of Mary's children is living on a farm in
Michigan and one of her sons is with the U.S. Coast Guard now [1945].

September 8, 1909, Laura, Henry's youngest daughter, married Samuel Moore,
a farmer, also of Warren County. They have two hundred twenty acres of
land. Most of it is used for raising corn and soybeans and for fattening
cattle and hogs. Their only son, Robert, age about twenty-five, is serving
with the Army. He was on the farm, taking over his father's work when
the father died in 1935.

Lillie went to Schoolcraft, Michigan, and lived with Carrie there until
her death.

Frederick and Sarah Krohn had seven children
in Illinois. They were: Ethel, born June 13, 1864, Frederick, Walter,
Otto, William, Flossie and Anna. Ethel and Flossie married farmers living
nearby. Frederick was a telegrapher. Walter taught school a while and
then studied medicine. He was a doctor until his death. Otto also taught
school a term or two and then turned to farming. William was a farmer
and some of his ten children were farmers; others teachers. Anna and Flossie
are the only children of Frederick living now [1945].